Lee Jae-Yoon

Oh, where to start? There were chunks of this show that were pointlessly dragged out. I mean, we could have edited the first seven episodes into one episode and gotten the same point. There were also chunks of this show that were quality melodrama, with the right amount of intrigue and romance to suit any melodrama fan (eps 8-20ish). And then it just keep going… and going… my God, why did it keep going? There were probably 16 episodes of quality drama strung out into 50 long, tedious episodes. I fail to understand the justification for taking this exasperating approach to the story. I honestly want to take this drama through a video editing program and re-release it, because the idea was marvelous, the execution however murdered the show.

Plotline (condensed version): A married couple struggles to find common ground after the horrible death of their precious daughter. She turns colder, he grows distant. He gets swept up into the arms of a younger woman, seeking an escape – and runs off to America with his new sweetie. Meanwhile, his wife is in a fateful accident and presumed dead. She survives, however, with total amnesia and is mistaken for another woman and adopted into this doppleganger’s life. Who is this other woman? Well, her long lost twin… a whistleblower whose life had been destroyed trying to take down a giant pharmaceutical company for unethical practices. She runs off to China for several years, only to return under a fake name when her daughter’s illness requires specialized care. How long can these twins live in the same town before their true identities are revealed? Can our married couple find a way to mend their burned bridges, or are they destined to be with the people who have taken them into their lives and poured their love on them? Will the big pharma company face justice? Will the twins finally learn they are not alone in the world?

It’s quality melodrama ruined by a lengthy run time. What a shame. So many adorable children in this show! So many fun ideas bogged down by pointless plot extension. Such wickedly fun characters (the wife of the stepson, in particular, hands down one of the most enjoyable bitches I’ve seen in years!) and exciting family dynamics. So many laughs and sighs and potential – ruined! Oh, the waste! The humanity! Why?! (weeps for the loss of what should have been a new favorite drama)

This show was a fine mix of screwball comedy and drama. The screwball was played by Choi Se-Won, who seems almost type-cast to play these lovable dufus characters. He’s the male lead in this show, though I wasn’t entirely sure he was the male lead until the last episode because the second male lead, played by Gong Myung, had an equally compelling story and, in my opinion, more chemistry with the lead female.

This is a story of a bumbling third generation rich guy who’s spent the first thirty years of his life playing with his family’s money. He has no job, no responsibilities, no worries and no sense of the world. His small, extravagant world IS the world, as far as he’s concerned. He’s happily let his older brother play the heir to the company, content to just ride on the coat tails of other people’s success. He even has a personal secretary, the second male lead, whose sole job is to follow him around and clean up his messes. These two men grew up together, one the prince, the other the pauper. Gong Myung’s character is the son of the family chauffeur, a part of the wealthy world of his employers but only as an accessory. He’s a brooding, miserable mess – a stark contrast to the ever-joyously oblivious prince heir. Their friendship is real, but strained under the weight of their different roles and social positions. It isn’t until our prince gets kicked out of the castle that the two finally get to grow as individuals.

Between these two men is our lead female. A plucky young lady who refuses to get a full time job, already jaded by the insecurities of the working world after watching her father lose his job just short of retirement. She’s had a crush on the brooding chauffeur’s son for years, but their relationship never progressed past awkward friendship. When circumstance causes her to mistake our prince for a pauper, she bonds with the goofy rich boy in disguise and he, in turn, falls head over heels for our female lead. Our prince sets out to woo this lady with everything he’s got – unfortunately, she doesn’t think anything he has is worth much, so he’s forced to re-evaluate his perceptions of reality. His dogged pursuit of our female lead causes him to do things he’s never done before… like… get a job.

It’s a light, cute, goofy story. There are lots of enjoyable characters – the other employees, the families of our three leads, the friends, even the neighbors – and everyone gets fleshed out enough that no one feels like a prop. Choi Se-Won has perfected the art of being overtly hammy and still endearing, though his characters always seem to fall short of being romantic leads. He’s better suited to being the one-sided crush guy, in my opinion, though maybe this is a failing on the writer’s part and not the actor. There’s not a lot of romance in this romantic comedy. For this particular plot, it worked fine. This story was more about having the three leads grow as people and not as lovers.

One of most feel-good of feel-good dramas out there. I’d like to give a standing ovation to this show for presenting one of the healthiest relationships I have ever seen in a K-Drama. Could there be two more likable leads? I’m struggling to think of anyone I’ve liked together more than this adorable pair. Watching them together was magical. It was such a fun, feisty, genuine romance. It was like eating sunshine.

Plot, Short Version: While two college athletes slowly fall in love, this show will wrap you up like a warm blanket and snuggle you.

The adorably unethical story of a shrink who falls for his patient and proceeds to chase her around for an entire show. This is one of those perfect dramas where six hours passes in what feels like an hour. Your face muscles get a little tired from smiling so often. You genuinely laugh out loud. The pacing is perfect – there is not even a moment of wasted time or character interaction. It’s expert writing paired with expert direction. Not to mention actors that both charm you, amuse you, and feel comfortable walking around your television. It’s easy to believe they really exist so you grow very close to them very quickly.

The last few episodes turn melodramatic, but otherwise it’s a feel great romantic comedy worth checking out.

Overall Rating 9/10 – Don’t Fall In Love With Your Shrink Unless You Are In A K-Drama.